UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Chemical engineering graduate student Patrick Saboe is the recipient of a 2014 Science to Achieve Results (STAR) fellowship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
He is one of only 105 graduate students across the country who will receive $8.6 million from the EPA to conduct research on topics ranging from climate change and public health to water quality and sustainability that will have cross-cutting impacts in the environmental science field.
Saboe’s project, titled “Water purification and desalination using two-dimensional crystals of channel proteins,” seeks to develop low-energy biomimetic membrane technology that will promote water recycling and linked renewable energy operating systems.
He said the fellowship makes research opportunities more accessible. “Over the next two years, I will be able to work to develop biomimetic membranes for water purification applications, collaborate with research groups around the world and present at conferences.”
Saboe is advised by Manish Kumar, assistant professor of chemical engineering.
He said Kumar has a great commitment to high quality research and learning. “His dedication is unquestionable. With his mentorship, I have been able to develop my own research ideas and see them come to life.”
The EPA was established in 1970 to consolidate a variety of federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection. Since its inception, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.